


A Functional Model of Real World Genetic Inheritance for Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics

by Della19



Series: A Fine Piece of Real Estate [2]
Category: All fandoms, Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Applicable for all A/B/O, F/F, F/M, For Science!, Genetics, M/M, Meta, Multi, Not a fic, There will be a quiz at the end so take notes, You thought I was kidding about the quiz didn't you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-09
Updated: 2014-04-09
Packaged: 2018-01-18 17:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1437214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Della19/pseuds/Della19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically what it says on the tin.  A real world genetic model of inheritance for Alpha/Beta/Omega universes.  Just a thought exercise, written for my Hannibal fic Wage Your War, but applicable to any A/B/O universe.  Let's hear it for science!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Functional Model of Real World Genetic Inheritance for Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics

**Author's Note:**

> My apologies to Gregor Mendel. 
> 
> Also, if you've read my fic Wage Your War, stick around for the end notes.

So, by some strange stroke of chance, I've found myself writing an A/B/O fic. These fics tend to be rife with pretend science (mine already is), but I was curious: how would real science apply to the A/B/O concept? Could there be a genetic system that follows real world (Mendelian) inheritance but for A/B/O? So, remembering that I know a little bit about genetics, I dug out my good old punnett squares and went to work.

Turns out the answer is yes. It is absolutely possible to have a genetic system that is based in real world science for A/B/O, as I'll show you below. This is the inheritance model for blood types: it is an example of incomplete dominance, where both A and B are expressed in the combined phenotype. A genotype is your genetic code, while the phenotype is what is actually expressed. You may have Bb genes for eye color (genotype) and brown eyes (phenotype). I picked blood types because of their particular model of dominance, and also because I didn't even have to change the allele (the variation of a gene - B and b are both alleles of the gene eye color) names.

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=29y62qd)

 

Now, my modified system for A/B/O.

 

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=2hf592t)

[ ](http://tinypic.com?ref=jt2d7m)

This probably looks a bit complex to anyone who has forgotten their high school genetics, but here's a quick summary of it for ease of understanding and fic writing.  We inherit one copy of every gene from each of our parents (who they themselves had two copies).  The four genotypes in each punnett square (the grids) represent the possible children of each mating, which I have summed up at the the bottom of each.  Also it should be mentioned that my note about beta's having omega children is wrong - there are two other ways that they could have omega children.  

I created this system off what seems to be the prevailing theories in the A/B/O fics I've read: thoroughbred alphas are homozygous for the alpha gene (two copies of the A allele), betas are the most prevalent sex and are capable of producing beta, omega and alpha offspring (and also mate according to normal human characteristics - female has children, male impregnates), male omegas cannot father children (sterile seed) and female alphas cannot give birth to children (vestigial ovaries), but male betas can impregnate omegas and female betas can have children with alphas. 

The interesting thing is the limits this system creates.  Thoroughbreds must come from a female beta and an alpha (male or female) or two IB IA betas (female and male - note that what I said in the illustration is wrong, this way is also possible), and thoroughbreds and omegas can only have alpha children, while "regular" alphas (one copy of the alpha A gene) can produce alpha and omega children, but no omega/alpha couple can have beta children.  Betas are capable of producing children of all three phenotypes (alpha, beta and omega), but would produce mostly beta children (as shown in the example). 

Additionally, the X and Y chromosomes would be linked to this, and affected by the alpha genes (there is a genetic term for this, but it's not needed for this discussion).  In alphas and omegas the X and Y chromosome would be masked - it would have no effect on childbearing ability, while in betas it would be active, and XX (females) could give birth while males (XY) could impregnate, no matter the beta genotype.  It should be also mentioned that, as someone brought this up and they are totally right, that male alphas and male omegas would produce far fewer female children as they have only one X chromosome each.  And, though no one brought this up I feel I should clarify - although a zygote could theoretically inherit two Y chromosomes from this pairing, that zygote would die as the combination would be lethal (Y chromosomes are Y shaped because they lack many of the essential genes found on the X and are thus smaller).  The complete genotype would then be a combination of the two chromosomes.

An example: XX IA IO would be a regular alpha female, capable of impregnation because of her alpha chromosome. 

XY IB IO would be a beta male, capable of impregnation because of his XY chromosomes. 

Honestly though, if you made it this far and are asking yourself why you care, the answer is you absolutely don't have to.  I really was just interested in seeing if A/B/O was possible in the real world, and on the genetic level it is.  This is the system I'm using for my fic, but that doesn't mean it's the only possible system.  However, at the very least, my little mental exercise serves one function: next time some hater makes fun of you for reading A/B/O, you can point at this and go "Fuck you! Because science bitches!"

Got nothing to help you on the knotting and the lubricating anus argument though.  Afraid I can only do so much. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So, this part is just for readers of Wage Your War. I would have made this a chapter of that fic, but after the chapter 2 thing, I'm pretty sure someone would find a way to murder me (thanks again for not doing that). All seriousness, you guys are the best audience I could have asked for. That said, I told you there would be a quiz. Anyone who can tell me:
> 
> 1) According to this, what Hannibal's Lecter's parents must have been given the info in that fic.
> 
> OR/AND
> 
> 2) According to this, what Hannibal and Will's twins (a boy and a girl) will be.
> 
> Then you get to name a twin. I'm really bad at naming, so I'd rather crowd source it (though I retain the write to veto things like Moxie Crimefighter, Apple and Renesmee) so if you're interested, drop me a comment with a name you like (that isn't Mischa because no. Seriously he tried to swap out Clarice's personality for his sister, and I'm going for darkish romance but not that dark. The dead should stay dead. As a middle name for the girl it's ok though.) 
> 
> Bonus: If you can tell me the other beta X beta mating that would produce omega children, then I will, after I have exams (why yes, the one I just wrote was genetics, why do you ask?) and write the actual rest of the fic, write that scene from Chapter 2 where Hannibal fucks that pillow, in Hannibal's POV, and then he decides he's going to win over innocent little Will (snicker).


End file.
